Russia has announced that a third station equipped with its Rezonans-N radar, a technology capable of detecting stealth aircraft and hypersonic targets, will be combat-ready in the Arctic region by June.
Rezonans radar can detect targets at a speed of up to Mach 20 (13,000 mph or 20,900 kph). The system can obtain target acquisition at a distance of 600 kilometers (373 miles) and at a range of 1,200 km (746 mi) on ballistic targets, at an altitude of up to 100 km (62 mi).
Rezonans Science and Research Center Director General Alexander Shramchenko told state-run TASS that the third Rezonans-N radar station will come online in Novaya Zemlya this “May or June.”
Another set of stations— the fourth and fifth— have also been announced to enter service in the Arctic by late 2021. “By the end of the year, we plan to put into operation two more Rezonans-N stations in the Arctic zone – in Gremikha and Zapolyarnoye,” Shramchenko said.
The first two Rezonans-N stations were already on duty on the Kola Peninsula.
Russia’s Continued Military Presence
Just this month, Pentagon spokesman Thomas Campbell expressed concerns over the continued build-up of Russian military bases in the Arctic.
“There’s clearly a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic,” a senior State Department official told CNN. “That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic.”
Satellite images of Russian military bases and hardware, and an underground facility believed to be a storage area for high-tech weapons, also show that the country is continuing to strengthen its military presence in the region.
In March this year, Russia was also reported to have staged fresh military drills in the Arctic. The region is said to be rich in natural resources and may open new shipping routes.